5 Tips to Improve Your Style
“Looking good isn’t self-importance; it’s self-respect.”
Hi there Stylish Friends,
Spring season is arriving and the sakura trees are slowly but surely blooming here in Tokyo. Many people decide to upgrade their wardrobes right before a new season and that got me thinking: how did I develop my style? how did I diversify?
Buying stuff that you are somewhat familiar with can be great to define your style, but can result in an infinite boring or bad style. Read more on how I experiment with styles and how you can do so too.
Accessories
One of the easiest ways to level up your game when it comes to style is by adding accessories. guys usually overlook these or think of a watch to wear, but there is so much more to it. Wearing some bracelets, rings, or a necklace can change the whole vibe of your outfit and it’s so easy to get into.
For me there are 3 layers of accessories to get into:
Belts and Watches
The most easy to get into and match with your outfits. When buying belts, make sure you have the basic black and brown ones so you can easily match them with your outfit. For watches, getting both a leather strap and a metal strap styled one is definitely recommended. but please guys, don’t get one of those huge watches unless it is a very expensive piece. They look tacky when cheap.
Sunglasses and Bracelets
A bit more situational than belts and watches but still very versatile. Sunglasses can be more than a functional piece to protect your eyes from the sun. They can make a guy look cool. Make sure that the style fits your face. Personally I look ridiculous in aviators because my face doesn’t match the style, but a set of wayfarers or brownline shades match the shape of my nose better.
Bracelets took me a while to get into. I always thought it was a bit too much but I saw an excellent set on a website once and decided to give them a go. I realized that they can be matches with more outfits than I thought and ever since I wear at least one when I go out. It is important to match the color of the bracelets with your belt and watch, because a silver bracelet with a gold watch just looks messy, so keep that in mind.
Rings
The last stop on the accessory train is rings. Rings can make a man look extremely old-fashioned if done wrong, so be careful about the type you wear and on which finger. Just like shades, rings make a guy look cool or weird depending on the type of ring and type of guy, so make sure you find some inspo posts on rings by male fashion influencers that have a similar style when deciding what kind of rings you are going for.
Colors
Colors seem to be such an easy point, but it can be tricky. If I say blue shirts are cool and you should wear them, what does that mean to you? I have seen some blue shirts that were totally off from cool and some that absolutely killed it. Here are some examples of what is a good or bad blue.
The first shirt is too plain blue. it is kind of hard to explain but it is ‘too blue’. For clothes, it is better to go for a Navy or light blue color than the absolute blue shown on the left. This image also shows that fit is important. The far left shirt is too loose and makes your body look less good than it actually is.
This can be applied to many colors. Make sure the color is not too absolute. unless it is in small details of your piece.
Shoes
Lately, I have been vastly expanding my shoe collection. I realized that if you buy a shoe that you usually don’t wear. you start looking into other clothing styles too. Besides expanding your variety of clothing styles, shoes will also change the mood of your outfit.
Wearing black dress shoes under a suit makes you look formal, but wearing white sneakers under that same suit will make you look stylish, but casual. Loafers will make you look chic without going too overboard with the formal feel.
Like with the rest of your clothes, make sure you keep the colors neutral, but stylish. if you want to add colors, make sure they’re accents, not main colors so you can still mix up your outfits that go with it. And get some cool socks too!
Size Matters
Let’s stick to outfits for this one. There is a fine line between too big and oversized fits. Especially when it comes to formal wear, you still stick to as fitted as possible. Budgets don’t always allow tailored suits, but that’s ok. make sure that the pieces you pick are slim fit, That way you get that tailored effect without spending too much money.
A bit of a tough nut to swallow, but getting in shape usually helps a lot with dressing better, so definitely consider working out if you want to improve your overall aura.
Personal Hygiene
This may seem like an obvious one, but many men out there slack off on this part. When it comes to hygiene, the first thing that comes to mind is how you smell.
Taking a shower or bath once a day is a must for everyone. not only will you smell better, but you will also feel better. The smell of sweat comes from sweat that is older than one day, so if you are that guy that sweats a lot, make sure you stick to frequent showers. People don’t blame you for sweating, they blame you for smelling bad. On top of keeping yourself clean, make sure you invest in a good perfume. Invest some time and money to find a smell that matches your personality. It is even worth investing in multiple smells, depending on the situation you will wear them.
The second part which I consider is your hair. Make sure you go visit a barber frequently and, if you colored your hair, it is updated properly. A fresh cut makes both you and your outfit look fresh, so keep up with it, no matter how long your hair is.
Make sure you think about what you do, even if you just ‘throw something on’. It is less of an effort than people think to match clothes, buy clothes, or select clothes to wear!
